Firebrick Pharma (ASX:FRE) has announced the publication of new research showing the potential of its Nasodine Nasal Spray as a potential treatment in the management of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS).
Firebrick was founded in 2012 to develop and commercialise a nasal spray treatment for the common cold based on the potential of povidone-iodine as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent.
“To date, the development of Nasodine has focused on treatment of the common cold, which is generally caused by viruses,” said executive chairman, Dr Peter Molloy. “This new research suggests it could also have a future role in bacterial CRS.”
CRS is an infection of the sinuses generally caused by strains of Staph. aureus. It is challenging to treat and becomes chronic because of the bacterium’s ability to shield itself from antibiotics and host immune responses by forming a protective ‘biofilm’.
The company said the research evaluated for the first time the activity of Nasodine against S. aureusbiofilms in vitro using a biofilm reactor model.
"Nasodine demonstrated time and concentration-dependent bacterial killing against intact biofilm with statistically significant reductions in viable bacteria with exposures as brief as 5 min. It consistently eradicated dispersed biofilm within 1 min," said the company.